The federal government has received 108 stranded Nigerians from the Republic of Niger Republic.
Their return was facilitated by the Federal Government in collaboration with the International Organization for Migration, or IOM.
The reception process took place at the Cargo terminal of Murtala Mohamed International Airport in Lagos, Southwest Nigeria, in a coordinated and all-government effort coordinated by the National Commission For Refugees, Migrants, and Internally Displaced Persons.
Representing the Federal Commissioner, Aliyu Ahmed, the Southwest Zonal Coordinator, Mr. Alexander Oturu, stated that in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, the returnees would be integrated into various government programmes, as well as the reintegration programmes of the UN Migration Agency, IOM.
According to Mr Oturu, there were 32 males, 29 females, 44 children and 3 infants on board the IOM chartered flight from Niger Republic.
The migrants were conveyed to the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, camp where the NCFRMI and IOM have a tripartite agreement to provide temporary shelter for the returnees before they are provided with onward transportation allowance to enable them get to their final destinations.
Officers from the NCFRMI and the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) profiled the migrants and officers from Port Health, FAAN, Federal Ministry of Labour (Migrants Resource Centre), National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Child Protection Network and Web of Hearts Foundation were also in attendance to provide assistance.